Janaki Weaves is an e-commerce platform dedicated to showcasing hand-selected sarees. The project involved conducting UX research and developing a dedicated website to replace sales and bookings via Instagram DMs, enhancing customer accessibility and convenience.
Role:
UX/UI Designer
Visual Designer
Purpose:
Client Project
Tools Used:
Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
The Project
Problem Statement:
Prospective buyers of Janaki Weaves' saree boutique face accessibility issues due to the reliance on Instagram DMs and in-person appointments. This current method limits the brand's reach, reduces efficiency in handling bookings, and restricts online transaction capabilities. Without a dedicated e-commerce website, Janaki Weaves misses opportunities to provide seamless online shopping experiences, thereby hindering its growth potential and limiting customer satisfaction.
What does success look like?
To develop a user-friendly e-commerce website to simplify sales, appointment bookings, and transactions, while extending the brand's reach and enhancing operational efficiency.
The Process
Research
Client Research
To understand the business needs and current operations of Janaki Weaves, I conducted a detailed examination of their sales processes, customer interactions, and operational challenges. The goal was to identify key areas where an e-commerce website could enhance their business.
Method
The research involved direct discussions with the business owner, analysis of current sales and communication channels, and a review of customer feedback and behaviour patterns.
Key Findings & Insights:
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Sales Channels and Processes:
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Predominantly relies on Instagram for online inquiries and sales, with some in-person transactions.
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Customers often inquire about saree specifics and sometimes delay their purchase decisions.
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Challenges:
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High frequency of unresponsive customers after reserving sarees.
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Customer complaints about prices and appointment scheduling issues.
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No systematic inventory management or tracking mechanism.
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Objectives for E-commerce:
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Expand customer reach, including international markets.
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Improve inventory management and customer follow-up processes.
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Enhance customer satisfaction through professional and accessible online services.
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User Research
To gather insights into user needs and behaviors related to saree shopping, I conducted interviews with potential customers. The aim was to understand their preferences, challenges, and desired features for an e-commerce platform.
Method
We conducted a series of user interviews with 10 participants who regularly purchase sarees. The participants varied in age, location, and shopping habits to capture a diverse range of insights.
Key Findings & Insights:
The interviews yielded several key findings that will inform the development of a more tailored and user-friendly online saree boutique:
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Diverse Shopping Habits:
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Participants displayed a range of saree shopping habits, from frequent online browsing to occasional in-person purchases. Their preferences varied based on factors such as cultural background, convenience, and the desire for quality checks.
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Motivations and Preferences:
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Factors influencing saree purchases included color, design, fabric quality, and price. Participants emphasized the importance of variety, quality, and good customer service when choosing a saree boutique or online store.
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Online Shopping Experience:
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While some participants had never purchased sarees online, others cited challenges such as inconsistent quality, limited product information, and shipping concerns. Desired features included detailed product information, filtering options, and ease of navigation.
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Impressions of Janaki Weaves:
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Familiarity with Janaki Weaves varied among participants, with some appreciating the professional presentation and real client images. However, concerns were raised about the lack of detailed information and website availability.
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Website Preferences:
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Participants expressed interest in features such as filtering options, appointment scheduling, and live chat support for immediate assistance. A clean and professional website with clear product images and reviews was deemed essential.
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Overall Satisfaction:
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While participants expressed varying levels of satisfaction with their saree shopping experiences, common desires included clearer product information, reliable shipping, and realistic product images.
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Competitor Analysis:
In order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the competitive landscape within the saree boutique market, an in-depth analysis was conducted on three prominent competitors: Tia Bhuv, Clio Silks, and Tulsi Weaves.
This analysis unearthed distinctive strengths and weaknesses across each competitor, highlighting opportunities and threats for Janaki Weaves' entry into the online saree domain.
Through this examination:
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Tia Bhuv emerged with a modern website layout and influential endorsements, yet struggles with issues of information overload and complex navigation.
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Clio Silks offered a wide range of products and personalized shopping experiences, but the text styling was inconsistent and the information overwhelming.
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Tulsi Weaves showcased strengths in appointment booking and detailed product pages, although constrained by limited website navigation.
This analysis provided invaluable insights into the strategies and executions of key competitors, guiding Janaki Weaves in charting a distinctive course towards seamless accessibility, enhanced user experience, and a compelling online presence.
Define
User Personas:
Understanding our diverse customer base is crucial for delivering a tailored shopping experience at Janaki Weaves. We have identified three primary personas that encapsulate the varied needs and preferences of our users:
User Flows:
These user flows are designed to address their specific needs, challenges, and behaviours, ensuring a seamless journey from exploration to purchase.
Feature Prioritization:
We prioritized features for the Janaki Weaves website based on user value and organizational effort, ensuring that the most impactful enhancements are implemented efficiently to meet the needs of our key personas.
Core Features:
With a better idea of my user and their needs, I identified three core features that I wanted to focus on for the product.
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Seamless Online Shopping Experience:
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Focus on providing a user-friendly and intuitive online platform for browsing and purchasing sarees. Ensure easy navigation, clear categorization of products, high-quality images, detailed product descriptions, and a smooth checkout process. This feature caters to the needs of both older and younger users who prefer the convenience of online shopping.
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Appointment Booking for In-Person Consultations:
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Offer users the option to schedule appointments for personalized consultations at the physical store. This feature is particularly beneficial for users, such as brides, who prefer in-person interactions and guidance when selecting sarees for special occasions. It enhances the overall customer experience by providing personalized assistance and ensuring a seamless transition between online browsing and offline shopping.
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Responsive Customer Support:
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Provide responsive customer support channels, such as phone, email, or live chat, to address user inquiries, resolve issues, and provide assistance throughout the shopping journey. Prompt and helpful customer support enhances user satisfaction and builds trust in the brand. This feature is essential for ensuring a positive overall experience for users, regardless of their age or shopping preferences.
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Site Map:
I developed a streamlined sitemap to ensure an intuitive and user-friendly experience for Janaki Weaves. This layout, guided by user research insights, is designed to simplify navigation and improve usability.
Ideate
During the ideate phase of the Janaki Weaves project, we concentrated on transforming initial concepts and client requirements into tangible design ideas. This stage involved extensive brainstorming sessions, sketching, and collaboration to create a foundation for the website's structure and user experience.
Low-fidelity Sketches:
To begin, we created low-fidelity sketches of the core pages, including the home page, product pages, and appointment booking section. These sketches served as a visual representation of our initial ideas and allowed us to explore various layout options and navigation structures.
Client Collaboration:
We initially tested these sketches with the client, seeking their input on content organization and visual hierarchy. Their feedback was instrumental in shaping the direction of the design, ensuring it aligned with their vision and business goals.
The ideate phase laid the groundwork for the subsequent development of mid-fidelity wireframes, providing a clear vision for the website's structure and functionality. Below are images of the wireframe sketches that illustrate our conceptual process and the evolution of our design ideas.
Test
Usability Testing:
In the mid-fidelity wireframe stage for the Janaki Weaves project, we focused on incorporating user feedback to refine key aspects of the design and enhance the overall user experience. After initially testing low-fidelity prototypes with the client to understand their preferred content structure for the home and product pages, we conducted user testing to gather further insights. This iterative process led to several key findings that shaped the mid-fi wireframes.
Key Findings:
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Search, Filter and Sort Options: Users highlighted the importance of having a search feature, along with filter and sort options, to facilitate easier navigation and product discovery.
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About Page positioning: The About page, initially placed in the main navigation, was rarely accessed, indicating that it could be better positioned elsewhere to streamline the menu.
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Contact us visibility: Users preferred the Contact Us section to be prominently displayed in the main navigation for easy access to support.
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Detailed Booking Information: Users wanted more detailed information about the booking appointment section, as the initial design lacked clarity on the types of bookings available. This led to adding summaries and descriptions to improve user understanding.
Iterate
Design Changes
Based on the findings from the lo-fi and mid-fi wireframe stages, several design changes were made to enhance the final design of the Janaki Weaves website. These changes were driven by user feedback and client input, ensuring the final product was both user-friendly and aligned with business goals.
Here are some key design changes:
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Enhanced Navigation:
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Search Feature: A robust search feature was added to the navigation bar, allowing users to quickly find specific products.
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Filter and Sort Options: Comprehensive filter and sort options were implemented on product listing pages.
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Content Placement and Clarity:
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Relocation of About Page: The about page was moved from the main navigation to a less prominent position, as users found it unnecessary to access frequently.
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Prominent Contact Us Section: The contact us section was moved to the main navigation, making it easily accessible for users seeking assistance or more information.
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Appointment Booking Details:
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Detailed Booking Descriptions: The booking appointment section was enhanced with detailed descriptions of each booking type, providing users with a clear understanding of what each appointment entails before proceeding to the booking page.
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Design Systems
I created a design system language that could be followed in the future to ensure consistency throughout the website.
Final Product
Final Prototype
After many tests and iterations, the final product meets all the objectives, providing a seamless and visually appealing online shopping experience for Janaki Weaves' users. The website is designed to be user-friendly, making it easy for customers to explore and purchase sarees effortlessly.
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